Going Global

LSU Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College alumna Savanah Dickinson has been chosen for the Summer 2018 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program. Dickinson will be spending several months in Amman, Jordan studying Arabic. She is one of 578 finalists for the program.

Sponsored by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and supported in its implementation by the American Councils for International Education, the CLS program creates the opportunity for students to develop critical literacy skills in a foreign language in a host country. According to the official description from the Critical Language Scholarship website, “The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. CLS scholars gain critical language and cultural skills that enable them to contribute to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.”

Dickinson graduated summa cum laude in December 2017 with a B.A. in mass communication from LSU’s Manship School and a B.A. in international studies from LSU'S College of Humanities & Social Sciences with Upper Division Honors Distinction. She has minors in political science and Arabic. Her Honors Thesis, directed by Associate Professor of Foreign Languages & Literatures Touria Khannous, ranked Middle Eastern countries according to their soft power. Over the course of her academic career, Dickinson has interned with the U.S. Department of State in both Washington, D.C. and Manama, Bahrain. She currently works as an account executive at Portland Communications, a public relations and communications firm.

LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers students cutting-edge research, study abroad, internship and service learning opportunities as part of its innovative experiential learning curriculum. Manship School students can earn undergraduate degrees in journalism, political communication, digital advertising, and public relations, along with four graduate degree programs: Master of Mass Communication, Ph.D. in media and public affairs, certificate of strategic communication, and dual MMC/law degree.

The College of Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) offers a diverse range of courses, minors, and degree programs that are critical to success in today’s global market. Students, faculty, and staff are visionary leaders in their respective fields, a tradition of excellence that began with the College’s inception in 1908. For more information on the College of Humanities & Social Sciences, visit www.hss.lsu.edu.